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Katherine, Northern Territory
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Katherine is a town situated 320 km southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of the Northern Territory, Australia. It is the fourth largest settlement in the territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. Katherine has a population of 9,124
Set in promising grazing and future agricultural country, the town's main economic source has often been gold, but this has lessened after the closing of the mine at Mt Todd.
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Encyclopedia
Katherine is a town situated 320 km southeast of Darwin in the "Top End" of the Northern Territory, Australia. It is the fourth largest settlement in the territory after the capital Darwin, Palmerston and Alice Springs. Katherine has a population of 9,124
Set in promising grazing and future agricultural country, the town's main economic source has often been gold, but this has lessened after the closing of the mine at Mt Todd. There is increasing tourism and the RAAF Base Tindal 17 km southeast of town is also contributing to the economy. The town has several churches, sporting clubs, parks, a well kept golf course, and a showground.
The well known and spectacular Katherine Gorge in the Nitmiluk National Park near the town has many ancient rock paintings. These often become flooded during "the wet season" as the river can rise 18 m in the narrow passage. In a particularly wet season, the paintings higher up can become flooded, damaging these ancient treasures.
The Park features many activities such as camping, swimming, fishing (lures only), sightseeing, canoeing, boat cruises and bush walk trails.
Butterfly Gorge, within a 6 km walk across the escarpment from the visitor centre, features a large valley filled with lush monsoon rainforest that extends down to the river.
Nitmiluk also features the country's ultimate buswalking experience, the Jatbula Trail, an extended trail winding some 46 km over stunning landscapes stretching from the gorge to Edith Falls to the north.
The original inhabitants of the area belong to the Jawoyn, Dagoman and Wardaman language groups.
History
Early city
The town has had several locations since its settlement by John McDouall Stuart, and the present site was gazetted on 15 July 1926. The original post office and the Overland Telegraph station were set just above Knott's Crossing and next to the Sportsman's Arms Hotel that had quarters for the station master at the Overland Telegraph station and a single room police station.
The Katherine River, after which the town and the nearby gorge are named, was named by John McDouall Stuart
when he passed through the area in 1862 on his sixth successful journey across the continent. On 4 July 1862, Stuart
crossed the Katherine River and recorded in his diary: "Came upon another large creek, having a running stream to the
south of west and coming from the north of east. This I have named 'Katherine', in honour of the second daughter of
James Chambers Esq." There is some conjecture over Stuart's accuracy. Chambers's wife's name was Katherine but, according to most sources, his daughter's name was Catherine.
The next stage of development of Katherine was the establishment of the Katherine Telegraph Station on 22 August 1872 and the completion of the Overland Telegraph Line later in 1872. It was not until 1923 that construction began on the Katherine railway bridge, with construction completed in 1926. All shops were then moved to the opposite side of the river, where the town of Katherine now sits. The first train crossed the bridge on 21 January 1926.
Construction began on a new rail line in July 2001. On 13 September 2003, the line was finished with a continuous track from Adelaide to Darwin. The Ghan passenger train commenced on 4 February 2004 and runs several times a week. It stops in Katherine on both the northbound and southbound journeys.
Dr. Clyde Fenton of Katherine became one of the first Flying Doctors in Australia when he raised £500 to buy a plane for his medical run. He soon earned himself the name of "Speed Gordon of the Territory Skies".
World War II
During World War II, the Australian Army set up two hospitals around Katherine, the 101st Australian General Hospital and 121st Australian General Hospital. The army also set up a Katherine Area Headquarters. On 22 March 1942, Katherine sustained its only air raid during World War II. One man was killed when a Japanese aircraft bombed the town.
Flooding
The Katherine River runs through the north of the town. The river has a history of flooding the town, with documented accounts in 1957, 1974, 1998 (on Australia Day), and 5-7 April 2006.
The 1998 flood devastated the town, and the area was declared a national disaster. The flood resulted from the 300-400 mm of rainwater brought by Cyclone Les that caused the already full Katherine River to rise an additional 21.3 metres. The floodwaters inundated the town and much of the surrounding region, requiring the evacuation of many residents.
The April 2006 floods placed parts of the town under water (including about 50 houses), caused millions of dollars of damage, and resulted in the declaration of a state of emergency on 7 April. However, there were no reports of the flooding causing structural damage. Town residents were given warning that the river might flood on 5 April, and the town centre was underwater before noon the next day. The floodwaters reached a peak of nearly 19 metres at the Katherine River bridge. Dozens of homes were inundated with up to 2 m of water, with many residents having time to escape with little more than the clothes they were wearing. Over the weekend of 8-9 April, more than 1,100 people went to the evacuation centres in the town. The state of emergency was lifted on 9 April.
Indigenous history
Katherine is an important meeting place to the local Aboriginal people. It is the point
where the traditional lands of the Jawoyn (sometimes spelt Djauan), Dagoman, and Wardaman converged. With Katherine being the largest town in the region, it remains a meeting point for Aboriginal people from across the Katherine Region.
Modern city
Today Katherine is a key regional centre supporting the cattle, horticulture, agriculture and tourism industries. Located at the junction of major tourism drives, Central Arnhem Road, the Savannah Way and the Explorers Way, Katherine is an important visitor gateway for the Northern Territory.
Geography and climate
Topography and climate
Katherine is situated on the banks of the Katherine River, which is part of the Daly River system. The upper reaches rise into the Arnhem Land escarpment and Kakadu to the north east.
The topography of the region is predominantly tropical savanna woodland. The township of Katherine is set amongst a Karst landscape of ancient limestone formations, outcrops, and subterranean caves. Other ecosystems include open eucalypt forest and rocky escarpment country and isolated pockets of monsoon rainforest/vine thickets.
Katherine is located 320 km south of Darwin and has a monsoonal subtropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons. The annual rainfall is 1,132mm and daily temperatures normally range from 24° – 35°C, occasionally reaching 40°C with very high humidity at times during the build-up period to the wet season, when the region begins to receive some of the country's most spectacular electrical storms along with vigorous lightning displays. Dry season nights can get quite cool, regularly dropping to 7°C overnight in the middle of the dry season.
Climate Table | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
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| Mean daily maximum temperature (°C) | 35 | 34.3 | 34.5 | 34 | 32.1 | 30 | 30.1 | 32.5 | 35.4 | 37.7 | 38 | 36.5 | 34.2 |
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| Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) | 24 | 23.7 | 22.9 | 20.4 | 17.1 | 14.1 | 12.8 | 15.5 | 19.6 | 23.6 | 24.7 | 24.4 | 20.2 |
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| Mean total rainfall (mm) | 271.2 | 229.5 | 161.3 | 32.9 | 5.7 | 2.1 | 1 | 0.5 | 5.9 | 29.2 | 88.2 | 197.7 | 1,112.5mm |
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| Highest daily rain (mm) | 233.7 | 229.1 | 152 | 102.6 | 61.7 | 32.8 | 33.8 | 15.5 | 90.9 | 80.3 | 121.7 | 228 | 233.7 |
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Low elevation and frequent rainfall, as well as the town's situation on the banks of a river, means that the area is prone to flooding. A flood on Australia Day in 1998 was particularly destructive. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Les produced between 300 and 400 millimetres of rainfall during a 48 hour period, causing the Katherine River to rise to 21.3 metres and claim the lives of three people.
Floods are not just the only threat the town faces every wet season.
Severe thunderstorms and lightning are also familiar dangers every wet season. Large hail to 2,5cm diameter has also been reported within the area. Katherine is also located in one of the most lightning struck areas in the southern hemisphere and caution should be heeded outdoors in the summer months.
Districts
The central business district of Katherine is set 350 metres from the banks of the Katherine River. The township services the other regional centres of Pine Creek, Mataranka, Borooloola, Douglas Daly, Daly River and Timber Creek.
The RAAF Tindal Base is located 17 km from Katherine and plays a significant part in the local economy. Tindal Airbase officially opened on 1 October 1988.
Built environment
Springvale Homestead, built in 1879, is the oldest original homestead in the Northern Territory. The homestead was originally managed by Alfred Giles, an ex-Overland Telegraph linesman, but is now open to visitors. The Old Katherine Railway Station is another historic attraction that served Vestey’s Meatworks during their operation in Darwin and was a major hub of transport during World War II.
Another historic site is the O’Keeffe Residence. Originally built as a recreation hut in 1943 for army officers during the Second World War, it is a good example of local construction practice, using local materials like Cypress pine and corrugated iron.
Since the establishment of Nitmiluk National Park, Katherine has developed into a tourism destination. Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park attracts large numbers of visitors each year (232,000 in 2004-05). The town is well-equipped with a shopping centre and other modern conveniences and services.
Parks and gardens
Katherine town and surrounds provide plenty of park and garden areas. Dakota Park, Giles Park, Jurassic Cycad Gardens, Jukes Park and O’Shea Park are in the town. Tourist attractions include Nitmiluk National Park and Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park, Kintore Caves Nature Park with its populations of endangered cycads, Low Level Nature Park, Springvale Homestead and Katherine Hot Springs.
Along Riverbank Drive on the Katherine River, Katherine Hot Springs provide swimming, shaded picnic tables and BBQ facilities set amongst monsoon forest and tall paperpark trees where you can sit back and relax or enjoy the abundant birds and wildlife.
Fishing for barramundi, tarpon and sooty grunter is also popular along the Katherine River.
The low level Nature Reserve and the hot springs are regarded safe to swim.
Both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles inhabit the river, always make sure you swim in recommended safe areas and avoid swimming in remote 'suspicious' waters.
Government
Local government
The Katherine Town Council consists of five aldermen, a mayor, and a deputy mayor. There are an additional ten local community councils that administer the region and primarily service the Indigenous people of the region. The town's current mayor is Anne Shepherd.
State and federal government
The Katherine electorate, which covers the town and its suburbs, elects one member to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. At federal level, the town, as with all parts of the Northern Territory outside Darwin, is located within the Division of Lingiari. Katherine is a solid base for the centre-right Country Liberal Party.
Economy
The Pastoral industry, mining, defence (RAAF Tindal) and tourism all play a major part in the economy of Katherine. In 2003-04, the estimated total value of agriculture production from the Katherine region was $75M; $52M from cattle, $16.5M from fruit and vegetables and $7M from hay and other field crops. Production from mining in the region was estimated at $201M in 2003-04, or 13% of NT mining and energy production. Major commodities included lead, zinc, barites, limestone and gravel.
Transport
Rail
Katherine was connected to Darwin via the North Australia Railway a narrow gauge railway which was completed in 1926. It fell into disuse and was eventually closed and the tracks lifted. In 2003 the line was replaced with standard gauge as part of extending the line to Alice Springs north to Darwin.
The Ghan, run by Great Southern Railway, operates on the new extension between Adelaide and Darwin. It arrives twice weekly in each direction and has a scheduled stop in the town.
Air
Katherine airport is 7 km south of the town centre. No commercial flights are available to Katherine; however, charter flights can be arranged, and the town is only a two and a half to three hour drive from Darwin.
Road
Katherine is at the crossroads of the Savannah Way that runs east-west from Cairns to Broome and the Explorer’s Way that runs north-south from Darwin to Adelaide through Alice Springs. Savannah Way runs along the Victoria Highway at Katherine and Explorer’s Way runs along Stuart Highway.
Society and culture
Katherine High School
Katherine High School is the only public secondary and middle years school in the town and supports good academic,
sporting, and scientific learning oppourtunities for its students. The current principal is Ken Barnes. The music department is run by Louise Doyle and Micheal Dalvean and recently came very close to winning the concert band Eisteddfod run in Darwin.
The school library has a wide range of written and computer resources.
Leisure and entertainment
Leisure and entertainment activities in Katherine are mostly nature-based. Katherine Hot Springs, Mataranka Hot
Springs, canoeing in Nitmiluk Gorge on the Katherine River, hunting, bushwalking, caving, camping and fishing on the Victoria, Daly, Roper or Katherine Rivers are all popular leisure activities.
Although attempts are made to safely relocate saltwater crocodiles from areas of the river popular to tourists, these crocodiles do inhabit most of these river systems and extreme care should be taken in and around the water at all times.
The town also has a nightclub, a few pubs and sports/social clubs.
Literature and film
The Katherine Region was popularised by the novel ‘We of the Never Never' by Jeannie Gunn who was the wife of a
pioneering pastoralist in the late 1800s. The feature film Jedda was partially filmed at Katherine Gorge, however,
the last roll of negatives was destroyed in a plane crash on its way for developing in England and the scenes were
re-shot at Kanangra Falls in the Blue Mountains.
The Australian horror film Rogue, released in 2007, was partly filmed in Katherine Gorge.
Music
The Katherine Country Music Muster Association was formed after the Katherine 1998 floods to raise money for the
Katherine Historical Society Inc. Over the years, the Muster has hosted emerging local and national country music
artists, such as Kasey Chambers.
Unique Indigenous music and dances is also an important part of this the region.
Sport
The Katherine Town Council manages the Sports Ground Complex which houses a swimming pool, tennis club, four ovals,
a cricket pitch, a BMX track, a skating rink, a basketball court and football and soccer fields. The Katherine Showgrounds Complex
hosts equestrian sports and Australian Rules Football as well as the Katherine and District Show Society.
External links
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- , a collection of photographs of Katherine in 1996.
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